SUCCESS STORY
In
1998, when then 6-year-old Tashianna Smith first arrived
at Save the Children Tutoring and Enrichment Program, a
service of the Quitman County Development Organization
(QCDO) in Marks, Miss., it was hard not to notice that
something was wrong. "Even with her glasses on,
recalls QCDO Youth Director Pearl Watts, "her face
was practically on the board" when she started to
write.
Tashianna
at first seemed to be able to read the alphabet in a
textbook. But, when she got to the end of the alphabet
it was clear she wasn't reading at all — she kept
reciting letters in the rhythm of the ABC song. Teachers
at Quitman County Elementary School knew the girl had a
vision problem because a doctor had prescribed thick
glasses. These brought ridicule from the other children
and apparently still didn't enable her to see clearly.
Watts
worked with Tashianna's grandmother, Dorothy Huddleston,
to schedule an appointment with a new eye doctor,
promising that the organization would cover the cost if
Medicaid would not. It turned out that no glasses would
solve her problem — Tashianna is legally blind. The
doctor recommended that she attend a special school for
the blind. That suggestion brought a host of new
problems.
The
nearest appropriate school is in Jackson, 175 miles from
Marks. To Tashianna's grandmother, with no car and no
way of traveling back and forth to Jackson, sending her
little girl so far away from home was a frightening
thought. How could she be sure her granddaughter was
learning and happy?
Once
again, QCDO offered help. The organization arranged
transportation for Tashianna and her grandmother, first
for a visit to the school and then for regular visits.
Today,
10-year-old Tashianna is a student at the Mississippi
School for the Blind in Jackson. She enjoys the school
and even likes doing her homework. Simple tasks like
reaching for something on a shelf are still hard for the
little girl, but every day these chores get a little
easier.
Her
grandmother, Ms. Huddleston, is grateful to QCDO for all
of their help. She says, "If Tashianna hadn't been
enrolled in Quitman County Development Organization's
after school program, who knows where she'd be now? The
staff noticed that she had problems with her sight and
they helped me to get Tashianna the care she needed.
It's good to know there are people out there who
care."
